Making the Most Seasonal Marketing

‘Tis the season. We recognize and celebrate so many holidays in our country, there is always a special occasion right around the corner. There is a significant portion of the population who are attracted to seasonal promotions: pumpkin spice, green beer, Americana...The list goes on. People love having something to look forward to, and something to celebrate! Even if your product or service isn’t necessarily seasonal, your business can still benefit from every holiday.

Choose your battles wisely:

The digital age has brought an immense amount of competition to advertising. Because of this, you no longer have to worry about trying to create the Best Ad Ever every time. If you create elaborate promos for every single holiday, you become Art Van Furniture. No one cares about your ‘holiday prices;’ it has been done too many times. Potential customers are desensitized, and people no longer recognize the value in your business. Take holidays as an opportunity to engage your customers and enjoy added exposure; but at the end of the day, your campaign or sale should be able to stand on its own year-round.

Make your Marketing specific to your business:

If not, the campaign will not be effective. Even though a holiday is a simple “what’s trending,” you don’t want to get caught up in a Marketing situation that will be confusing to your customers and/or not jibe with the nature of your business. Your time and resources are better placed with a campaign that will actually yield results, and that means connecting with your customer base.

Go big or go home:

If you decide that a seasonal or holiday Marketing campaign could benefit your business, then make it count! Determine your budget and plan accordingly; be sure you are able to afford execution of the campaign without issue. For example, you’ll notice many food brands choose to digitally engage with consumers around holidays: Lays and Doritos hosting online competitions near Superbowl time, Pepsi promotes heavily at the beginning of summer. Television example: think of all those Coca-Cola ads around Christmastime, and the big Back-to-School push for fall.

Take advantage of the engagement opportunity:

This type of promotion is perfectly suited to social media. As we mentioned earlier, you want to make your Marketing specific. However, it’s smart to take advantage of a chance to ‘join the conversation’. More than likely, you will not receive actual engagement in conversation, but your followers will appreciate the effort and take a minute to admire your post. Even a simple “Merry Christmas,” or “Enjoy your holiday weekend” will be enough to be noticed by current and potential customers.

The next couple of months are chock full of holiday Marketing opportunities. Use them wisely - and enjoy your holiday weekend!

The Content Conundrum

New and bracing content is crucial for organic search engine optimization. Updated content allows the web to know your business is still interested in engaging with consumers and continuing to accept new customers. But even when you understand its importance, creating original content can be intimidating.

For one, it carries the feel of public speaking. Writing is often a solitary endeavor, yet it can make you feel like you are on blast. Your message is being read - and interpreted - by a large number of people and therefore invites criticism. Try not to take it personally; there will always be people who don’t agree with you, and that often sparks an engaging dialogue. It’s natural to feel insecure, especially at first. “Was my content effective?’ “Did I get my points across clearly?”

Plagiarism is another issue lingering in the back of every writer’s mind. It can be nerve wracking to wonder if someone else might have had the same thoughts, and published them 6 months ago. When I was a kindergartener, I made up a poem: “Roses are red, violets are blue. Sugar is sweet and so are you.” I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only kid who thought of that ‘original’ ditty!

These fears may always be on the back burner in your head, but there are a few ways you can put your mind at ease and get more comfortable with creating content:

• Be original.  As long as you’re putting down your own thoughts, the chances of someone claiming plagiarism are slim. Sure, there may be some overlap, but this is to be expected to a point. After all, if it’s a really good concept, it’s not unreasonable to think someone else may have had the same thought.

• Know your audience. Research if you have to. In fact, marketing research is a growing field in itself, due to varying tastes and opinions among  different demographics.

• Be tasteful, not offensive. There are marketing campaigns that are remembered for their controversial content, but it’s risky. There is a fine line, and crossing it could make or break a business. For example, at one time Mr. Clean put out an ad saying “This Mother’s Day, Get Back to What Matters” implying that mothers should get back to cleaning. Needless to say, it didn’t work for them.

• Perhaps the most crucial advice: Take the pressure off yourself and have fun being creative! Just be yourself, and people will be able to relate to you. Once they relate, they will be willing - and excited - to hear what you have to say about your product and/or services!